Lone files nomination from Baramulla, says Kashmir deserve to be represented by different voice

Srinagar: Separatist-turned-mainstream politician and Peoples Conference Chairman Sajad Lone on Wednesday filed his nomination paper from Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency in North Kashmir.

Lone accompanied by senior party leaders and Chairperson District Development Council Baramulla Safina Baig arrived at the office of District Magistrate, Baramulla, Minga Sherpa, who is the returning officer for the constituency, to file his papers.

Lone will be pitted in a tough battle against the National Conference (NC)’s vice-president Omar Abdullah, jailed Kashmir leader Sheikh Abdul Rashid aka Engineer Rashid and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Fayaz Ahmad Mir in the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat.

Speaking to reporters before filing his nomination, Lone said people of Kashmir deserve that they be represented by a different voice this time.

“ Not only the people of Kashmir deserve that they be represented by a different voice, but also the people of India deserve that they know exactly what is happening here,” Lone said.

He said that in the last ten Parliaments, nine times MPs from one party have represented and now new voices should now come as there is a lot of confusion as to what is the reality .

“If we are given an opportunity, I promise that the voice of the people of north Kashmir will resonate across the Parliament,” he said.

Apni Party led by Altaf Bukhari and several former legislators have announced their support for the Lone in the coming polls.

Lone is contesting parliamentary polls for the second time . In 2009, he had contested the same seat in North Kashmir, but lost to the NC. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the PC’s candidate Raja Ajaz Ali lost this seat to the NC’s Mohammad Akbar Lone with a margin of about 30,000 votes.

Lone, a former separatist came into limelight in 2002 after the assassination of his father Abdul Gani Lone, the founder of Peoples Conference. After Gani Lone’s killing, Sajad hit out at Pakistan and the separatist camp. The Peoples Conference plunged into mainstream politics in 2009.

UNI